Enugu Airport closure, reps decry heavy traffic on Owerri road
Nigeria’s Federal House of Representatives has decried heavy traffic on Enugu – Owerri road due to a temporary closure of Akanu Ibiam International Airport for repairs.
In a sponsored motion on Thursday by a member representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Hon. Paschal Chigozie Obi, he said the closure of the Airport has caused hardship for motorists plying Owere-Orlu-Ideato-Uga road. The lawmaker urged the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to urgently undertake remedial work on the Owerri-Orlu-Ideato-Uga road, to ease traffic. In the motion, Hon. Obi noted: “with the closure of the Enugu airport, there is a heavy traffic on the road, which links several local governments headquarters in Imo State while expressing concern that there could constitute further hazards to communities and villages in the federal constituency, if nothing was done immediately. Owerri-Orlu-Ideato-Uga federal road links the capital of Imo state through Uga to Awka, the capital of Anambra state with the heavy commercial activities. The stretch of the road from Orlu-Mgbee-Umuchima-Obioha-Urualla has also collapsed, with devastating gullies, on both sides of the road. The government of Imo State of Senator Rocha’s Okorocha had executed projects and made appreciable efforts in this regard before, but the unintended over-flooding arising from the destructive climate change, destroyed some of the works to unimaginable proportions. ”
The lawmaker explained that Umuchima-Mgbee bridge has collapsed as a result of excessive erosion as well as the none continuation of the expansion and dualization project on the road. According to him, no day passes without records of deaths due to accidents and road mishaps especially on TJ collapsed bridge linking Mgbee (Orlu) and Umuchima. Ruling on the motion, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, urged the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to include dualization of the road in the 2020 budget estimate. He also mandated the committee on works and housing and appropriation to ensure compliance.
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